SITE: Oheka Castle
ADDRESS: 135 W. Gate Drive, Huntington, NY 11743
PHONE: 631/692-2707
WEB SITE: www.oheka.com
VISUALS & HISTORY: Located on Long Island's Gold Coast, the 126-room chateau-style residence was completed in 1921 for financier and philanthropist Otto Herman Kahn. The house sits on 23 acres of landscaped gardens originally designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who also planned New York's Central Park. The site is popular for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, corporate meetings and retreats, and movie shoots — it served as the Charles Foster Kane estate Xanadu in the classic Orson Welles film “Citizen Kane.”
EVENT AREAS: The 2,380-square-foot Grand Ballroom; 1,428-square-foot Library; 1,590-square-foot Formal Dining Room; 504-square-foot Addie Kahn Sitting Room; 800-square-foot Garden Room.
SPECIAL SPACE: The new 5,500-square foot Terrace Ballroom has 23-foot ceilings and offers sweeping views of the grounds. The space has a reception capacity of 1,000 and can accommodate 450 guests for a seated dinner — 350 if a dance floor is needed.
OLD & NEW: After falling into disrepair in the 1970s, the building underwent a $40 million interior and exterior renovation following its purchase by a new owner in 1984 that included importing slate roof tiles from the same Vermont quarry as the originals, replacing some 400 doors and windows with custom replicas, and adding modern kitchen amenities.
SITE: Evergreen House
ADDRESS: 4545 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21210
PHONE: 410/516-0341
WEB SITE: www.jhu.edu/historichouses
VISUALS & HISTORY: Built in 1858, the 48-room Italianate house, which sits on 26 landscaped acres, was purchased by the Garrett family in 1872. Former U.S. Ambassador John Work Garrett and his wife Alice lived in the house until his death in 1942, when the building was bequeathed to Johns Hopkins University.
EVENT AREAS: Evergreen House consists of several distinct event areas. The main house, which is available for corporate receptions up to 100 guests, contains the Reading Room and Rare Book Library; the Drawing Room — which is decorated in the style of a 1930s French salon — houses period furniture and post-Impressionist art. The Upper Garden can be tented for events with 150 to 800 guests; the Carriage House has a reception capacity of 225 and seated capacity of 150 to 200.
SPECIAL SPACE: The two-story North Wing contains the Billiard Room, Far East Room and the Theater, which was decorated with vibrant colors and Russian folk art by Leon Bakst, an early 20th-century set and costume designer for the Ballets Russes. The wing accommodates 70 for a seated dinner and 100 for a standing reception.
OLD & NEW: The house contains the Garretts' collection of rare books and American, Asian and medieval objects d'art; the Carriage House is air-conditioned and wheelchair-accessible.
SITE: Sandford House
ADDRESS: 225 Dick St., Fayetteville, NC 28311
PHONE: 910/483-6009
VISUALS & HISTORY: Built in 1800, Sandford House, which is owned and maintained by the Fayetteville Women's Club, is located in the city's historic Heritage Square. A classic example of Colonial Georgian architecture, the building has been used as a private residence, North Carolina's first United States Bank and a shelter for members of General William Sherman's army during the Civil War. It now serves as a popular site for luncheons, private dinners and weddings.
EVENT AREAS: Available space includes a dining room and parlors situated on each side of the foyer, for a total seated capacity of 72 and reception capacity of 150; the garden can accommodate 150 guests for receptions.
SPECIAL SPACE: The Oval Ballroom, constructed in 1818, features period furnishings, plaster cornices and pilasters, and hardwood floors. The space can accommodate 40 guests for receptions or banquets.
OLD & NEW: In addition to photos and memorabilia from previous inhabitants, the South Parlor features a painting by the artist Elliott Daingerfield, who lived in the house as a teenager; modern upgrades include heat, air conditioning and a caterer's kitchen.
